End wrench with selectively usable jaw face shim means



Feb. 4; 1969 w. A. DAVIS END WRENCH WITH SELECTIVELY USABLE JAW'FACE SHI Filed July 5, I967 M MEANS Fig.3

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United States Patent l 3,425,302 END WRENCH WITH SELECTIVELY USABLE JAW FACE SHIM MEANS Wilbur A. Davis, R.R. 1, Mahomet, Ill. 61853 Filed July 5, 1967, Ser. No. 651,271 US. Cl. 81185 11 Claims Int. Cl. B25b 13/24, 13/38 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shim structure adapted for use on an end wrench including a pair of opposing jaw members provided with opposing jaw faces and including spaced apart detached corresponding end portions, the shim structure including a pair of shim portions with one of the shim portions being positionable between the jaw faces and adjacent one of the latter to'reduce the effective spacing between the faces and the other shim portion being alternately positionable between the jaw faces adjacent the other of the faces to further reduce the effective spacing between the jaw faces.

The end wrench construction of the instant invention is provided with a shim structure including a pair of shim portions thereof selectively positionable between the opposing jaw faces of the end wrench. In addition, the shim structure is constructed in a manner whereby both of the shim portions thereof may be disposed in an outof-the-way position leaving the area between the jaw faces of the wrench unrestricted and thus not reducing the spacing between the jaw faces. Therefore, the shim structure of the instant invention may be utilized to effectively reduce the width of the jaw opening of an end wrench. By providing the shim structure with a pair of shim portions which may alternately be positioned between the opposing jaw faces of the corresponding end wrench, the shim assembly may be utilized to convert an open end wrench which will accept three different size nuts or bolts heads.

The main object of this invention is to provide an end wrench including means by which it may be readily. altered to accept nuts and bolt heads of different sizes.

Another object of this invention is to provide an end wrench constructed in a manner so that it may accept nuts and bolt heads of three different sizes.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an end wrench in accordance with the preceding objects and including structural features thereof that may be readily incorporated into the manufacture of conventional end wrench and which may also be added by way of modifications to existing end wrenches with a minimum amount of machining. 1

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide an end wrench in accordance with the preceding objects which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble-free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the end wrench of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the left end portion of the end wrench of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary plan view similar to that 3,425,302 Patented Feb. 4, 1969 of FIGURE 2 but with the shim assembly of the wrench positioned in an alternate position;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 44 of FIG- URE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially upon the plane indicated by the section line 5-5 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a perspective-view of the spring-type locking detent of the end wrench which is operable to maintain the shim assembly of the wrench in adjusted position.

The numeral 10 generally designates an end wrench constructed in accordance with the present invention. The wrench 10 includes an elongated body 12 having an elongated handle extension 14 On one end and provided with a wrench head generally referred to by the reference numeral 16 on the other end.

. The wrench head 16 includes opposite side confronting jaw members 18 and 20 which generally parallel each other and project outwardly from the side of the head 16 remote from the handle extension 14 and the jaw members 18 and 20 include generally parallel and confronting jaw faces 22 and 24, respectively, between which a nut or bolt head is adapted to be snugly received whereby the elongated body of the wrench 12 including the handle extension 14 may be utilized to apply torsional forces to the nut or bolt head.

The wrench head 16 is quite similar to the head portion of a wrench commonly known as a crescent wrench. The jaw members 18 and 20 are of course stationary andtherefore the distance between the generally parallel jaw faces 22 and 24 is set. For this reason, the wrench head 16 may be utilized to grip only one size of nut or bolt head. However, the instant invention includes the provision of a shim assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 26 and which includes two different thickness shim portions 28 and 30 which may be selectively shifted into superposed relation with the jaw faces 22 and 24 to vary the effective distance between the jaw members 18 and 20.

The wrench head 16 includes an upper surface 32 and a lower surface 34 and the upper surface 32 has a semicircular upwardly opening groove 36 formed therein. Also, the upper surface of the jaw member 18 in the adjacent end of the body 12 has a groove 38 formed therein. The groove 38 gradually decreases in depth toward the end thereof adjacent the handle extension 14 and increases in depth toward the throat area 40 defined between the jaw members 18 and 20 and terminates at an upstanding wall portion 42 spaced but slightly from the inner end of the throat area 40.

A positioning spring arm 44 has one end 46 secured to the body 12 by means of a fastener 48 and the other end of the spring arm 44 extends forwardly in the groove 38 and terminates in an upwardly directed forward terminal end portion 50 disposed closely adjacent the wall portion 42.

As can best be seen in FIGURE 6 of the drawings the spring arm 44 incldes a crimped portion 52 defining a continuation for the groove 36 and which is receivable in the portion of the groove 38 in which a transverse groove 54 is formed. Further, the terminal end portion 50 includes opposite side upper beveled corners 56 forming a reduced upper end on the terminal end portion 50.

The shim assembly 26 includes a pair of vertically spaced apart upper and lower plates 60 and 62 notched in a similar fashion at their forward ends as at 64 and rigidly interconnected by means of the upstanding walllike shim portions 28 and 30. The upper wall or plate 60 includes a downwardly depressed detent portion 68 which is slidingly received in the groove 36 and also in the groove defined by the crimped portion 52 and the upper wall or plate 60 further includes three apertures 70, 72 and 74 in which the reduced upper end of the terminal end portion 50 is receivable.

When the shim assembly 26 is positioned as illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the shim portions 28 and 30 are not disposed in overlying relation to either of the jaw surfaces 22 and 24 and therefore the effective spacing between the jaw members 18 and 20 is not reduced and a full size nut or bolt head may be engaged between the jaw faces 22 and 24.

When the shim assembly 26 is positioned as illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings, the depressed portion 68 is disposed in the crimped portion 52 and the upper reduced end of the terminal end portion 50 is received in the aperture 72 and thus the shim assembly 26 is maintained in stationary position.

When the effective distance between the jaw members 18 and 20 is to be reduced so as to adapt the wrench to be utilized in effectively gripping a smaller nut or bolt head, the forward end of the spring arm 44 is depressed by pushing downward on the upwardly offset thumb grip 76 disposed slightly rearwardly of the crimped portion 52 in order to downwardly withdraw the terminal end portion 50 from the aperture 72. Then, the shim assembly 26 is swung to the position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings bringing the aperture 74 into registry with the terminal end portion 50 and sliding the depressed portion 68 in the end of the groove 36 formed in the jaw member 20.

By so shifting the shim assembly 26, the shim portion 30 is disposed between the jaw faces 22 and 24 in position closely overlying the jaw face 24 and thereby reducing the effective spacing between the jaw members 18 and 20 to thus allow the wrench to be engaged with a smaller nut or bolt head. However, if a nut head or bolt of a size between the sizes which may be gripped by the wrench 10 when the shim assembly 26 is positioned as illustrated in FIGURES 2 and 3 of the drawings is to be turned, the shim assembly 26 may be shifted from the position overlying the jaw member 20 illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings to a position overlying the jaw member 18 and with the slightly thinner shim portion 28 closely overlying the jaw face 22.

It is deemed readily apparent that the shim assembly 26 may be readily removed from the wrench head 16 by first centering the shim assembly 26 in the position thereof illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings and then downwardly depressing the forward end of the spring arm 44 whereupon the shim assembly 26 may be disengaged from the wrench head 16 by forwardly displacing the shim assembly 26 and slipping the downwardly depressed portion 68 through the semi-circular notch 78 formed in the upper extremity of the wall portion 42.

Further, it is to be noted that the shim portions 28 and 30 are slightly spaced from the jaw faces 22 and 24 when overlying the latter. Also, the shim assembly 26 could be made so as to be more readily removable and so as to be forwardly displaceable from the wrench head 16 from positions overlying the jaw member 20, such as that illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings, and overlying the jaw member 18. If it was desired to so construct the shim assembly 26, the depressed portion 68 and the apertures 70, 72 and 74 could be eliminated and the groove 36 and the spring arm 44 could also be eliminated. However, each jaw member 18 and 20 could be provided with an upstanding bore in a position corresponding with the opposite ends of the groove 36 and the upper and lower plates 60 and 62 could be provided with registered apertures in lieu of the depressed portion 68 which could be registered with the bores formed in the jaw members 18 and 20 so that a locking pin could be displaced downwardly through the upper and lower plates 60 and 62 and the corresponding jaw member to releasably lock the shim assembly 26 in the desired position. However, if such construction was to be utilized, the shim assembly 26 would be readily removable and thus more likely to be lost, especially if the wrench 10 was ever to be used without the shim assembly 26.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In combination, a body including a pair of opposing jaw faces between which opposite sides of a nut or bolt head are adapted to be gripped, a single integral shim structure including a pair of shim portions of different thickness and supported from said body for shifting between two positions in a single plane extending between and disposed generally normal to said faces with one of said shim portions being disposed between said faces adjacent one of the latter to reduce the effective spacing between said faces when said shim structure is in one of said two positions and the other of said shim portions being disposed between said faces adjacent the other of said faces to further reduce the effective spacing between said faces when said shim structure is in the other of said two positions.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body comprises an elongated wrench body and said jaw faces are disposed on one end of said wrench body.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said jaw faces define an open end wrench head on said one end of said body.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said shim structure is also supported from said body for shifting in said plane to a third position thereon in which neither of said shim portions is disposed between said faces in a manner reducing the effective spacing therebetween.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said third position is disposed intermediate the first mentioned two positions.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said body comprises an elongated wrench body and said jaw faces are disposed on one end of said wrench body.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said jaw faces define an open end wrench head on said one end of said body.

8. The combination of claim 1 wherein said body comprises an elongated wrench body and said jaw faces are disposed on one end of said wrench body, said jaw faces being carried by jaw members fixed on and defining an open end wrench head on said one end of said wrench body.

9. In combination with an open-end wrench of the type including a pair of spaced apart elongated jaw members interconnected at one pair of corresponding ends and including generally parallel opposing jaw faces, a shim structure supported from said wrench and including a pair of shim wall portions disposed in relatively angulated position to form a notch having an included angle of approximately degrees, said shim structure being alternately positionable in a first position with one of said shim wall portions overlying one of said faces and the other shim wall portion extending generally toward the plane containing the other of said faces and a second position with the other of said shim wall portions overlying the other of said faces and said one shim wall portion extending toward the plane containing said one face.

10. The combination of claim 9 wherein said shim structure is also supported from said wrench for shifting to a third position with said shim wall portions extending between said one pair of corresponding ends of said jaw members and with a line bisecting said included angle generally paralleling said jaw faces and extending outwardly between the other pair of corresponding ends of said jaw members.

11. In combination with an open-end wrench of the type including a jaw portion consisting of a pair of spaced apart elongated jaw members interconnected at one pair of corresponding ends, defining a throat area therebetween and including generally parallel opposing jaw faces, said jaw portion including upper and lower surfaces disposed on opposite sides of and facing away from a horizontal plane extending between said jaw faces and in which said jaw members extend, a single shim structure including upper and lower plate portions overlying and underlying said upper and lower surfaces, respectively, and a platelike shim portion extending through said throat area and interconnecting corresponding marginal edge portions of said plate portions, said plate portions and said surfaces coacting to guidingly support said shim structure for shifting in said plane relative to said jaw portion between a first position with said shim portion disposed at one side of said throat area and overlying one of said jaw faces and thereby reducing the effective dimension of said throat area extending between said faces and a second position with said shim portion disposed at the inner extremity of said throat area and out of registry with said jaw faces.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 776,459 11/1904 Gage 81185 1,244,596 10/1917 Gealy 81185 X 1,483,906 2/1924 Miller 81185 1,550,564 8/1925 Nagano 81185 2,900,857 8/1959 Burnette 81185 MILTON S. MEHR, Primary Examiner. 

